Sorry if this has been suggested before.

I would find it helpful if when the character breakdown was displayed, the traditional version of a simplified character was also shown, and vice versa. So you'd write the character from memory, and once that was complete, also have the chance to take a look at its counterpart.

I often find that I confuse various bits of similar simplified and traditional characters, which means I remember neither of them properly. This might help to avoid that by letting users actively compare the differences.

Even tho I'm not a simp characters fans I like the idea to have the counterpart displayed (without having to click on the lookup) somewhere else.

For those studying either or, Nick has said he doesn't think much would be taken in by osmosis, and that's why he doesn't show them...

But all the same, as someone who's just studying simplified and hasn't the first clue about how to read traditional, it would be helpful to see the counterpart at the end. Just to be aware of it.

Although equally, I'm sure proper study would also do the same, and more. But I'm not so way inclined. No deal breaker either way though.

Hmm. Try using the new keyboard shortcut for opening the word popup ("D" or "K") for a little bit when you finish each word? It should be easier than clicking, and you'd get a sense for what it would be like to have that other style displayed there.

The thing that's stopping us from putting it there at the moment is just design. We haven't designed it yet. If we can get it in there without clutter, we'll do so.

The benefit from this for me wouldn't be extra learning by osmosis, just the ability to iron out any confusion between the traditional and simplified. Often I don't just confuse a simplified character with its traditional version, but with some other traditional character that looks a bit like it, or whatever. So if it was just there I could confirm which was which.

@nick
That would probably work equally well for what I want, especially since it's only the odd character I want to compare. Thanks!

"For those studying either or, Nick has said he doesn't think much would be taken in by osmosis, and that's why he doesn't show them..."

I agree. You would think -- at least intuitively -- that they would complement one another. They don't. At least not in my experience.

"The benefit from this for me wouldn't be extra learning by osmosis, just the ability to iron out any confusion between the traditional and simplified."

Extra exposure, to any character, will extend your knowledge and expand your vocab: this, in turn, allows you to notice nuances that escaped you before. It's not confined to traditional vs. simplified. Studying esoteric and archaic characters will do the same thing.

As someone who is studying both, I would definitely *not* want this. I want to have to practice the two versions the old-fashioned way.

As long as it's optional, I'm not against it.

James

James,

Sorry, I think I explained this badly in my original post. I am also studying both. So long as the simplified and traditional versions aren't tested in quick succession (and I don't think they usually are) I don't think this should impact recall.

Anyway, I'm aware that the Skritter team already has a long list of things to work on, and Nick has already suggested a perfectly good solution, so for me this case is closed :-)

I'm not studying traditional now, but I plan to. Would be great to have that option.

Having a shortcut to open the popup is a good idea (but neither "D" or "K" works on my computer).

I'll look into why those keys wouldn't work.

http://www.skritter.com/forum/topic?id=18711086

We were discussing this before but it never congealed. I still want the option to see both at a glance, without having to press anything. When I am scribbling away on my tablet it is too much of a hassle to click the magnifying glass or transition to the keyboard every time I want to peek at the simplified form.

Has there been any updates to this feature request? I, too, would like to see the trad/simp counterpart when practicing writing the characters.

My suggestion would be to just have the counterpart character near where the breakdown of the character components are shown on the right-hand side (the ones that show up after the user has written out the word).

We haven't done any more redesigning on that prompt, so we haven't found a place for it. I don't want to try to shoehorn it in somewhere without a good design effort, because that path leads to madness (see the current word popup, which is just begging to be redesigned out of its misery).